THE 


Unity   Church    F'raternity 


A    SERMON, 


By    Robert   Collyer, 


Preached    March   14,  1869. 


CHICAGO: 

ROBERT    FERGUS'    SONS,     PRINTERS. 
i860. 


^: 


THE 


Unity   Church    Fraternity 


A   SERMON, 


By   Robert   Collyer, 


Preached    March   14,  1869. 


CHICAGO: 

ROBERT    FERGUS'    SONS.     PRINTERS. 
1869. 


U^ 


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http://www.archive.org/details/unitychurchfrateOOcoll 


UNITY  CHURCH  FRATERNITY. 


Behold,  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together 
in  unity !— Psalms  cxxxiii,  i. 

And  I  shall  speak  to  jou  from  this  text,  as  I  gave  notice 
last  Sunday,  on  the  "  Unity  Church  Fraternity." 

First — On  the  reasons  for  it. 

Second — On  the  nature  of  it:   and 

Third — On  its  accomplishment  up  to  this  time. 

I.  And,  first,  the  Unity  Church  Fraternity,  as  I  think  of 
it,  is  rooted  in  and  springs  from  the  longing  that  was  in  my 
heart,  and  in  the  hearts  of  the  rest  of  its  memhers,  to  find  out 
some  way  to  the  formation  of  a  society,  without  an  atom  of  the 
religious  caste  that  generally  distinguishes  the  societies  that 
spring  up  within  churches;  ahle  to  do  a  work  as  good  as  any  of 
these  do,  in  every  way,  yet  still  to  be  free  from  all  sanctimoni- 
ous egotism,  and  think  as  little  of  what  it  had  done  as  would  be 
consistent  with  its  pure  welfare. 

I  think  it  is  fair  to  say  that  the  genius  of  a  Church  like 
this  does  not  seek  its  expression  in  Societies,  while  its  con- 
dition, at  the  same  time,  imperatively  demands  them.  If  I 
may  take  my  ten  years'  experience  for  a  guide,  I  will  venture 
to  say,  that  a  great  number  of  men  and  women,  who  prefer 
this  Church  above  all  others,  miss  it  when  circumstances  take 
them  away  from  the  city,  and  come  back  to  its  services  with 
a  keen  enjoyment,  would  still  be  very  well  content  to  attend 


this  one  service,  once  a  week,  drink  in  the  gocfd  of  it,  walk  out 
the  moment  it  is  over,  without  saying  ''how  do  you  do?"  to  a 
living  soul,  and  so  keep  on  from  years'  end  to  years'  end,  always 
cultivating  the  kindliest  heart  toward  all  that  come  here,  hut 
beyond  that,  as  indifferent  as  if  the  Church  was  a  hall,  the  con- 
gregation a  crowd,  and  the  sermon  a  lecture  on  any  secular  sub- 
ject. And  it  is  no  doubt  true  tliat  this  can  be  done  more  easily 
in  Unity  Church  than  in  almost  any  Church  of  which  I  have 
any  knowledge.  Other  congregations  have  a  sort  of  inside  and 
outside  membership — a  congregation,  and  then  within  the  con- 
gregation a  Church;  and  it  is  expected  that  the  Church  shall 
assume  certain  duties,  as  the  price  of  its  peculiar  endowments. 
We  have,  so  far,  had  no  such  inside  membership ;  and  it  has  been 
impossible  for  the  minister,  on  that  ground,  to  ask  his  people  to 
do  more  than  be  in  their  places,  when  he  was  in  the  pulpit. 
For  week-night  meetings,  and  Society  meetings,  for  every  sort 
of  thing  that  must  be  done,  the  minister  can  go  to  the  Church 
proper — when  there  is  one — as  the  housekeeper  goes  to  her 
wood-pile.  He  is  the  overseer  of  a  company  that  has  pledged 
itself  to  labor  in  what  is  called  the  "Lord's  Vineyard,"  in  all 
times,  seasons,  and  circumstances.  Now,  in  such  informal 
membership,  as  we  have  found  possible,  so  far,  there  is  no 
such  pledge  implied.  I  cannot  go  to  a  man  or  woman  in  this 
Church,  and,  on  the  ground  that  they  belong  to  a  peculiar 
people,  ask  them  to  do  a  single  thing.  Every  stroke  of  work, 
all  social  amenities,  and  money  for  all  purposes,  must  come  out 
of  your  kindly  hearts,  and  by  your  willing  hands,  or  they  can- 
not come  at  all.  You  can  come  to  these  Sunday  services,  go 
back  home  clear,  and  keep  clear  for  the  rest  of  your  natural 
life,  from  every  other  soul  in  the  Church ;  and  yet  I  shall  have 
no  right  to  say  that  you  are  not  as  intimately  a  member,  so  far 
as  our  covenant  goes,  as  any  other  person.  This  is  a  free 
Church,  certainly,  in  that  respect;  for  it  lets  every  man  do 
that  which  is  right  in  his  own  eyes,  as  they  did  in  Israel,  in  the 
times  of  the  Judges. 

But,  then,  nobody  can  doubt  what  a  Church  like  this  amounts 
to,  if  this  be  all  there  is  to  it.     Aside  from  all  questions  of  duty, 


it  is  tke  merest  rope  of  sand,  tliat  can  be  blown  together  by  tlie 
breath  of  a  minister;  and  there  is  no  reason  that  I  know  of 
•why  it  shouhi  not  fall  to  pieces  when  his  breath  ceases  to  blow: 
and  if  there  should  be  no  more  of  a  Church  than  that,  when  I 
was  nearly  through,  1  might  feel  that  I  had  done  good  to  per- 
sons, but.  my  ministry,  as  an  organized  religious  influence,  was 
a  failure. 

But  not  a  few  have  always  felt  that  tliis  was  wrong;  it  was 
not  enough  to  come  to  Church  on  Sunday,  and  then  say  "that 
is  all  I  care  for;"  for,  so  far  as  our  little  Unity  Church  world 
goes,  that  would  be  as  if  the  great  world  should  be  content  to 
eat  all  the  grapes  and  apples  that  groAv,  but  "never  give  a 
thought  to  the  vines  and  trees,  or  get  all  the  good  of  them 
through  this  whole  generation,  but  provide  none  for  the  next. 
So,  the  reason  for  the  "Unity  Church  Fraternity"  lies  not 
only  in  the  peculiar  organization  of  this  Church,  but  in  its  needs 
— the  need  to  do  something  toward  making  that  an  institu- 
tion, which  might  otherwise  come  to  be  a  destitution.  So  far 
as  I  was  concerned  in  the  Fraternity,  I  longed,  especially  at 
the  outset,  to  gather  a  society  of  young  people,  that  should  in- 
clude, if  possible,  all  the  young  people  in  the  Church,  and  all 
that  might  come  in,  give  them  a  chance  to  know  each  other,  to 
render  kindness  in  all  ways,  gracious  and  good,  to  all  members, 
and  to  open  its  heart  in  sympathy  and  charity  lo  that  human 
want  and  sorrow  in  our  city,  where  the  sufferers  do  not  seek 
assistance,  but  would  die  and  make  no  sign  if  they  were  not 
sought  out, — the  "Lord's  poor,"  as  distinguished  from  our  own 
poor,  so  nobly  cared  for  now  by  the  Citizens'  Relief.  Now,  I 
need  not  recite  in  this  place  how,  from  the  beginning.  Unity 
Church  has  never  failed  in  noble  charities,  or  in  a  fair  social 
life,  that  has  had  its  own  good  influence.  If  there  be  any 
blame,  I  will  take  it  to  myself,  because  more  has  not  been  done. 
I  declare  in  the  face  of  the  sun,  that  you  have  done  all  I  have 
ever  asked  for,  except  to  send  enough  teachers  into  the  Sunday 
School.  I  will  confess  that  I  have  sometimes  refrained  from 
asking  when  I  feared  it  would  be  no  use;  but  what  I  have 
really  asked  for,  this  Church  has  done — has  done  well,  when  I 


have  done  decently,  and,  I  can  hardly  doubt,  will  do  better  if 
I  only  set  the  example.  Still,  it  seemed  especially  essential  to 
organize  our  young  people.  I  longed  to  see  them  in  a  great 
company  together,  cultivating  this  social  element,  so  essential 
in  all  good  Churches ;  to  have  them  cooperate  together  also  in 
true  charities,  while  their  life  was  still  in  its  first  bloom — a 
period  when  young  people  generally  care  for  nothing  but  to 
have  a  good  time;  and  then,  in  the  course  of  time,  when  those 
who  are  the  fathers  and  founders  of  the  dear  good  place  begin 
to  fail,  have  a  compacted  organization  growing  up  to  its  prime, 
that  would  take  hold  afresh,  let  us  retire  into  the  corners  of 
our  pews,  and  rejoice  during  what  little  time  we  had  to  live; 
beside,  in  seeing  them  do  better  than  we  do,  and  the  little  one 
become  a  thousand. 

II.  This,  then,  has  already  indicated  the  nature  of  the  Fra- 
ternity. It  was  to  be  a  society  without  a  creed — free  from 
religious  caste  and  cant — intent  on  two  or  three  thoroughly 
wholesome  objects — as  free,  as  well  organized,  and  cultivating 
a  love  as  deep  toward  its  mother,  as  the  commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts;  or  as  well  organized  and  devoted  in  its  own 
way  as  any  society  is  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  without  this  free- 
dom. It  was  not  to  be  just  a  bundle  of  good  works  and  social 
graces,  done  because  this  was  a  society  formed  for  that  purpose, 
but  all  this,  and  more,  because  the  Society  had  a  soul.  It  was 
my  conviction  then,  as  it  is  still,  that  those  drawn  together  in 
Christian  worship  should  be  glad  to  come  together  for  Christian 
work  too.  That  a  congregation  can  be  a  society;  and  the  com- 
mon sentiment,  or  conviction,  be  it  one  or  the  other,  that  brings 
people  together  round  this  pulpit  on  Sunday,  should  bring  them 
together  in  followship  on  week-days. 

So,  resting  in  this  belief,  we  said  this  "Fraternity"  shall 
have  a  threefold  purpose: — It  shall  seek,  first,  to  do  what  Jesus 
Christ  did  first  in  his  ministry  to  man;  it  shall  seek  the  poor, 
and  the  mained,  and  the  halt,  and  the  blind — shall  set  its  for- 
tune against  their  misfortune,  its  gladness  against  their  dole — 
its  good  spirit  shall  penetrate  to  the  heart  of  the  dispirited;  the 
beauty  of  its  youth  shall  be  given  for  their  ashes;  its  grace  shall 


be  a  gospel  to  their  deformity;  and  by  such  simple  and  unbroken 
light  of  religion  as  shines  out  of  unworn  hearts,  it  shall  bring 
to  those  that  sit  in  darkness  a  new  trust. 

I  saw  in  a  newspaper,  a  few  days  ago,  some  account  of  a 
hapless  woman  in  London  who  was  just  then  dead.  The  writer 
entered,  with  some  minuteness,  into  the  proof  that  the  poor 
soul  had  been  driven  out  of  its  tenement  by  the  most  appalling 
process  of  starvation:  it  was  as  sad  a  thing  as  I  ever  read  in 
my  life;  and  this  was  the  saddest  part  of  it,  that  in  the  room 
where  the  woman  was  found  dead,  only  two  things  were  found 
beside — a  bit  of  salt,  and  a  tract  on  the  "Goodness  of  God." 
The  thing  was  done  within  a  month ;  it  was  in  one  of  the  latest 
London  papers — it  was  horrible  to  me,  beyond  expression!  it 
ought  to  drive  every  tract  society  out  of  London,  and  bolt  the 
door  on  them,  and  take  their  money  to  buy  bread,  until  this 
dreadful  hunger  of  the  starving  poor  in  England  is  satisfied,  or 
until  they  find  a  passage  in  the  Gospels  that  shall  read: — "See- 
ing that  the  multitudes  were  hungry,  Jesus  had  compassion  on 
them,  and  caused  them  to  sit  down,  took  the  five  barley  loaves 
and  two  small  fishes,  and  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  blessed  and 
brake  them,  and  gave  them  to  his  disciples;  and  they  eat  the 
loaves  and  fishes,  and  gave  each  of  the  five  thousand  a  religious 
tract."  Right  or  wrong,  this  "Fraternity"  was  meant  to  be  a 
society  that  should  break  the  loaves  and  fishes  first,  and  give 
them  to  the  famishing;  and  let  the  tract  business  take  care  of 
itself,  until  there  was  ample  time  and  money  for  both.  And  I 
don't  know  that  I  can  do  better,  by  way  of  illustration  of  the 
wisdom  of  this  course,  than  tell  you  of  the  very  last  thing,  so 
far  as  I  know,  that  the  "Fraternity"  has  done.  Two  or  three 
weeks  ago,  a  lady  came  to  see  me  and  tell  me  of  a  family  that 
she  believed  to  be  in  the  sorest  want.  She  brought  a  note 
about  them  from  a  schoolmistress.  I  went  at  once  to  see  them, 
and  found  what  I  have  never  found  before  in  this  city,  that 
they  were  people  of  our  own  persuasion,  members  of  one  of  our 
well-known  Eastern  Churches,  and  had  come  to  this  city,  and 
had  fallen  on  evil  days.  The  wife  was  left  a  widow ;  the  son, 
who  would  then  naturally  have  taken  charge  of  the  home,  and 


8 

carried  it  on,  with  that  grand,  secluded,  New  England  pride, 
that  always  fills  my  heart  with  tears — this  son,  who  had  already 
taken  hold  in  that  way,  and  was  bearing  the  burden,  was  all  at 
once  disabled.  Then  the  mother  stepped  to  the  front,  took  his 
place,  and  prepared,  with  one  small  lad  to  help  her,  to  fight  the 
battle.  For  about  eight  months,  when  I  heard  of  it,  she  had 
stood  fast,  fighting  the  wolf  with  a  needle.  She  called  on  none 
to  help  her,  save  God.  When  I  went  and  said,  "Do  you  want 
any  succor?"  if  I  had  not  been  so  sure  that  she  did,  I  could 
easily  have  come  away  and  said,  "There  is  no  particular  need;" 
but  when  I  sent  a  member  of  this  "Fraternity,"  who  knows 
directer  ways  to  a  woman's  heart  than  I  do,  she  heard  what  I 
will  not  tell,  about  that  good  fight  in  which  the  home  had  been 
ever  more  closely  besieged:  the  widow's  oil  and  meal  failed 
utterly,  and  nothing  was  left  but  the  unconquerable  and  un- 
speakable pride,  that  would  dig  while  the  hand  could  grasp,  but 
still  be  ashamed  to  beg,  because  it  had  never  been  so  in  their 
family,  and  never  could  be.  I  said,  this,  I  believe,  is  the  very 
last  thing  this  "Fraternity"  has  done,  and  one  of  the  things  it 
is  doing  now,  to  reinforce  that  forlorn  hope,  and  save  that  noble 
and  lofty  poverty  from  its  worst  pain.  And  it  illustrates,  as 
well  as  anything  can,  this  first  thing  in  the  nature  of  the  "Fra- 
ternity"— its  call  to  aid  those  to  the  uttermost  who  will  not  go 
to  the  Poor-master  or  the  Citizen's  Relief — who  will  not,  in 
truth,  go  anywhere  Avith  the  tale  of  their  troubles,  but  are  to  be 
heard  of  in  a  Avhisper,  and  aided  as  though  it  was  the  very 
Christ  who  had  come  in  this  guise,  to  these  that  bear  his  name, 
as  indeed,  indeed,  it  is. 

And  just  as  good  in  its  way  is  the  second  thing  sought  through 
this  "Fraternity" — the  power  to  welcome  every  stranger,  young 
man  or  young  woman,  unknown,  and  knowing  nobody,  who  may 
come  within  our  gates.  And  to  take  the  lowest  ground  that 
can  be  taken  for  this  second  aim,  it  was  needful  that  this  should 
be  done  for  self-defence.  It  is  an  open  secret,  that  in  this  city 
every  effort  is  made,  by  some  of  the  so-called  orthodox  Churches, 
to  secure  young  men  and  women  who  come  here  to  live,  no  mat- 
ter whether  they  belong  to  them  by  religious  affinity  or  not. 


In  these  Churclies  there  are  well  organized  recruiting  parties, 
thoroughly  in  earnest  about  their  work ;  not  over  particuhir  how 
it  is  done,  so  it  be  done;  whispering  to  young  persons  the  so- 
cial consequence,  and  sometimes  even  the  commercial  advantage 
of  joining  their  body ;  and  a  little  more  glad  to  get  a  young 
person  of  our  persuasion  than  one  of  their  own,  because  it  is  a 
sort  of  brand  plucked  out  of  the  burning — and,  then,  they  get 
the  brand  too. 

In  years  past,  the  social  consideration  has  told  heavily  against 
us.  I  can  find  in  this  city  multitudes  of  men  and  women  who 
were  very  good  Unitarians,  where  our  faith  is  popular,  in  New 
England,  that  instantly  fell  from  grace  when  they  got  to 
Chicago,  and  founil  it  struggling  for  life.  They  were  glad  to 
get  all  the  good  of  the  mother  Church,  where  she  had  influence 
and  affluence,  but  when  they  found  one  of  her  little  ones  in  the 
wilderness,  struggling  to  live,  they  left  it  to  die.  One  aim,  I 
say,  was  to  meet  this  necessity  among  the  young  men  and  wo- 
men. The  temptation  to  desert  us  because  we  make  a  poor 
show  is  growing  less  every  year  with  the  growth  of  our  cause ; 
still,  it  is  there,  and  other  inducements  are  there,  and  this 
"Fraternity"  is  meant,  in  its  measure,  to  be  a  tower  of  defence 
against  them. 

Then,  again,  the  need  was  still  more  sacred  to  make  a 
home,  and  give  warm  welcome  to  those  that  could  neither 
be  trained  away  nor  tempted  away  from  the  Church  of  their 
choice.  These,  with  all  others,  can  find  here  a  society  to 
give  them  welcome  and  fellowship;  and  in  joining  it,  also, 
they  join  with  all  the  rest  in  providing,  that  if  any  member 
be  sick  and  in  need  of  anything — nurses,  medical  attend- 
ance, attention  of  any  sort — this  Association  gladly  gives 
it  all;  simply  to  let  the  members  know  what  the  need  is,  is  to 
bring  the  instant  remedy;  and  if  there  be  no  need  at  all,  still, 
the  Committee  set  apart  for  this  purpose  is  to  watch  eagerly 
for  any  chance  to  send  fruit,  and  flowers,  and  whatever  beside 
that  will  put  a  gleam  of  sunlight  into  a  sick-chamber.  I  must 
say,  that  for  myself,  I  love  this  feature;  it  seems  to  me  that, 
after  its  care  of  the  shrouded  and  noblest  poor,  nothing  is 


10 

greater  or  better.  So  many  in  a  city  like  this  are  away  from 
their  homes,  it  is  so  lonely  for  them,  and  hard,  if  sickness  takes 
them ;  and  when  they  are  well,  it  is  so  good  to  be  identified 
with  a  good  company  of  young  persons  of  their  own  age,  and 
have  something  of  the  home  feeling,  in  this  kindly  relation,  that 
I  know  of  nothing  better,  anywhere,  than  such  a  plan. 

And  these  two  good  elements  leave  little  need  for  me  to  point 
out  the  third — very  good  in  its  way,  also,  and,  so  far,  full  of 
sweet  uses — that  provision,  I  mean  for  the  entertainment,  in  all 
innocent  ways,  of  those  that  belong,  and  of  those  the  members 
see  fit  to  invite  to  their  entertainments. 

If  I  venture,  just  here,  to  make  a  criticism,  it  is  the  only 
one  I  want  to  make — and  I  am  not  sure  that  there  may  not  be 
good  reason  on  the  other  side — but  here  it  is:  that,  on  the 
whole,  the  amusements  of  the  "Fraternity"  have  been  confined 
too  much  to  one  thing,  that  does  not,  like  some  books  we  hear 
of  noAV  and  then,  "blend  amusement  with  instruction,"  that 
seems  to  have  no  connection  at  all  with  the  mind,  and  will  prob- 
ably be  dispensed  with,  except  among  children  in  a  better  state 
of  existence.  I  only  fear  that  this  sort  of  entertainment  has 
to6  much  of  a  monopoly,  in  this  third  feature;  and  I  am  glad 
to  believe  that  something  is  to  be  done  in  other  directions.  I 
know  that  other  amusements  can  be  invented  just  as  pjeasant, 
and  certainly  as  profitable.  I  would  have  them  all  blended  to- 
gether in  the  sum  of  the  year,  and  then  that  aim  and  element 
will  be  as  good  as  the  rest;  and  when  we  speak  of  amusements, 
we  shall  mean  something  beside  this  one  form  of  amusement. 

III.  In  speaking,  thirdly,  therefore,  of  the  accomplishment 
of  the  "Fraternity"  up  to  this  time,  I  will  mention  this  matter 
of  amusements  first.  It  is  very  good  that  there  should  be  such 
a  purpose,  and  with  that  single  drawback — more  apparent  this 
winter  than  last — this  purpose  has  been  well  carried  out.  I 
have  looked  in,  now  and  then,  on  these  social  gatherings,  and 
they  have  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  perfection  of  such  entertain- 
ments, bright,  and  kindly,  courteous,  and  gracious,  with  little 
that  was  metricious,  and  all  that  was  modest.  I  have  no  statis- 
tics about  this  matter;  they  would  not  be  in  place  if  I  had  them, 


11 

and  vre  need  none.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  the  "Fraternity" 
has  amused  itself  to  its  heart's  content,  no  doubt,  and  may  bo 
safely  left  to  see  to  this  part  o-f  its  work,  of  its  own  instinct. 

Faithfully,  again,  it  has  tried  to  do  the  second  thing  for 
which  it  came  together;  it  has  stood  prepared  to  welcome  evcr}^ 
one  that  desired  its  fellowship;  to  make  all  feel  the  welcome  of 
its  spirit,  and  purpose;  to  pay  every  attention,  in  every  case, 
to  strangers;  and  to  give  of  its  abundance  wherever  there  was 
a  chance.  No  man  or  woman  who  has  cared  to  join,  has  been 
refused  membership;  no  man  or  woman  joining  has  been  re- 
fused fellowship;  and  none  have  been  sick,  if  it  was  known, 
and  been  neglected.  Generally,  so  well  to  do  as  to  make  it 
impossible  to  render  direct  assistance,  this  Society,  I  know,  has 
always  had  a  good  longing  at  its  heart  to  supplement  all  other 
means  by  its  means  of  grace,  in  such  things  as  will  bring  a  bit 
of  sunshine,  as  I  said,  into  the  sick-chamber,  and  make  the  suf- 
ferer feel  that  he  still  holds  his  place  in  the  loving  regard  of 
his  fellows.  I  do  not  say  that  in  this  the  Society*might  not 
have  done  better,  but  it  has  done  well,  and  Avill  do  better  in  the 
time  to  come,  please  God.  In  this  purpose,  then,  these  breth- 
ren dwell  together  in  unity,  and  a  good  and  pleasant  thing  it 
is.  ,  ' 

But  the  greatest  and  best  thing,  to  me,  is  the  accomplishment 
of  the  "Fraternity"  outside  itself. 

The  Saturday  Sewing  School,  nov/  in  its  second  winter,  looks 
to  this  Society  for  its  steady  continuance.  Good  women,  not  of 
the  "Fraternity,"  assist  in  it;  but  it  is  not  unfair  to  say,  that 
as  things  are  now,  if  there  was  no  such  organization,  there 
would  be  no  Saturday  Sewing  School.  Last  winter,  this  School 
mustered  160  pupils,  who  made,  among  them,  about  300  gar- 
ments. Early  this  winter,  the  gentleman  at  the  head  of  the 
North  Star  Mission  came  to  see  me,  and  to  hear  what  we  were 
doing  for  the  Lord.  I  told  him,  among  other  things,  we  were 
teaching  ignorant  little  girls  to  sew.  He  thought  that  was 
good;  said  he  must  have  a  school  like  that,  and  he  has  got  one 
outnumbering  this.  I  rejoice  in  it:  I  cannot  see  how  they  can 
teach  any  bad   theology  through    the  needle — the  one  great 


12 

peculiarity,  indeed,  of  the  Baptist  persuasion,  I  believe  some  of 
the  ladies  of  the  "Fraternity"  are  trying  to  instil  into  their 
pupils.  This  great  school  on  Division  Street  has  not  reduced 
our  numbers,  however,  we  had  164  pupils  yesterday.  They 
meet  in  this  lecture  room  every  Saturday  morning ;  and  I  want 
you  to  look  in  upon  them.  All  the  expenses  of  the  Sewing 
School  are  now  paid  by  this  "Fraternity."  Altogether,  this 
Society  has  been  able  to  give  for  its  diflferent  objects,  seventeen 
hundred  and  tAventy-two  dollars,  twenty-seven  cents.  Out  of 
this,  it  has  contributed  handsomely  to  the  Hospital  for  Women 
and  Children,  in  which  it  now  provides  for  a  bed.  It  has  done 
a  little  for  the  Hospital  for  the  Blind;  it  has  bought  two  sew- 
ing machines  for  widows  that  are  widows  indeed;  started  them 
in  that  Avay,  so  that  ever  since  then  they  have  been  able  to  take 
care  of  their  children,  and  are  paying  for  the  machines  by  a 
trifle  at  a  time;  no  interest,  of  course,  being  charged  for  the 
money.  It  has  put  out  about  three  hundred  dollars  in  tempor- 
ary loans  ♦witliout  interest,  to  good  persons  who  were  hard 
bested,  and  who  are  gradually  paying  back  their  sums,  and  will 
presently  be  out  of  debt:  and  shall  I  not  mention  gratefully, 
just  here,  that  this  "Fraternity"  gave  a  hundred  dollars  to  fur- 
nish the  Pastor's  study — "Bread  cast  upon  the  waters,"  to  be 
seen,  I  trust,  after  many  days.  Once,  I  mentioned  in  this 
pulpit,  a  blind  woman,  deserted  by  her  husband,  and  left  with 
two  children,  a  small  cottage,  an  unconquerable  heart,  and  a 
light  shining  in  darkness.  This  woman  has  a  warm  place  in 
the  heart  of  this  Society;  it  gives  her  generous  help,  that  she 
can  rely  on  weekly,  is  pulling  her  through  her  troubles:  about 
two  lots  and  a  shanty,  and  before  long,  will  set  her  on  her  feet 
as  an  independent  woman,  able  to  take  care  of  herself,  and 
owing  nothing  in  this  world  but  grateful  love.  Here  is  a  man 
who  speaks  four  languages,  was  in  good  circumstances,  but  lost 
his  money,  and  then  his  health;  has  drifted  into  consumption; 
had  to  sell  their  clothing,  furniture,  everything  to  get  bread  for 
the  wife  and  four  children,  and  then  was  to  be  turned  out  of 
doors.  The  "Fraternity"  has  paid  the  rent,  clothed  the  chil- 
dren, got  a  place  for  the  eldest  boy,  and  is  fending  the  poor 


1^ 

scholar's  last  days  from  blank  destitution.  Here  is  a  man  who 
was  a  prisoner  at  Andersonville,  and  got  his  death-stroke  by 
the  hardship,  camQ  home  to  find  that  he  was  useless:  his  wife 
and  two  children  did  Avhat  they  could;  when  the  "Fraternity" 
found  them,  they  were  destitute,  and  could  do  no  more ;  but  if 
he  could  get  into  Missouri,  he  thought  he  could  work.  Then, 
through  the  good  grace  of  one  in  this  Church,  who  always 
doubles  the  good  of  his  gift  by  the  abundant  cheerfulness  with 
which  he  gives,  the  broken  man  and  family  were  sent  to  Mis- 
souri; and  he  lived  until  they  got  a  shanty,  preempted  some 
land,  eight  miles  from  everywhere,  and  eight  miles  from  every- 
where the  mother  was  when  the  husband  and  father  died;  and 
she  had  to  lock  the  door  and  leave  her  two  little  ones  in  the 
house  with  the  white  death,  and  literally  to  stop  her  fingers  in 
her  ears,  so  as  to  shut  out  their  cries,  and  then  to  run  to  the 
nearest  settlement  to  find  help  to  bury  her  dead.  There  they 
are  to-day,  with  a  home  and  a  prospect,  such  as  it  is.  Some- 
time, please  God,  they  will  be  independent ;  they  are  infinitely 
better  than  beggars  to-day,  as  they  must  have  been  but  for 
their  movement  into  the  wilderness.  Here  is  a  woman,  a  widow, 
with  four  children,  all  small,  always  at  work,  never  complaining, 
and  possessing  a  cow  that  cubed  wonderfully  all  she  did.  But 
the  widow  fell  sick,  could  not  get  well,  could  buy  no  feed 
either,  for  her  able  and  excellent  assistant,  and  so  could  get  no 
milk.  Then,  as  I  hear,  she  tried  the  associations,  one  by  one, 
for  a  little  aid.  They  sent  their  agents,  who  reported  the  cow, 
but  not  the  dry  udders;  and  very  desperate  things  began  to 
look  when  the  "Fraternity"  took  hold,  pulled  them  through, 
and  now  they  go  alone — cow  and  all. 

These  are  some  of  the  things  this  "Fraternity"  has  done, 
and  is  doing  now,  through  the  contributions  and  care  of  its  one 
hundred  and  fifty-three  members,  or  as  many  of  them  as  take 
hold  in  good  earnest,  and  pay  up  their  subscriptions.  What 
beside  it  does  in  sympathy,  and  the  succor  that  comes  from  the 
heart,  I  cannot  tell  you.  I  only  know  this,  that  it  is  as  wise, 
and  tender,  and  delicate,  in  my  opinion,  as  anything  this  world 
knows  of:  and  I  need  only  say  this  word  about  the  whole  mat- 


1.4 

ter  beside,  that  the  wliole  work  is  done  without  one  penny  of 
expense — done  by  tliese  young  folks  themselves;  no  ninety  per 
cent,  of  the  charities  devoured  by  the  agents — not  a  solitary 
farthing.  The  maximum  of  assistance,  according  to  our  means, 
at  the  lowest  minimum  of  expenditure  ever  attained.  These 
disciples  distribute  the  loaves  and  fishes,  and  find  themselves. 

Finally,  for  this  "Fraternity,"  I  want  to  make  a  brief  plea. 
When  it  was  started,  another  Society,  the  Liberal  Christian 
League,  was  started  also,  that,  I  hoped,  might  take  in  all  that 
did  not  join  the  Young  People's  Society,  and  so  get  the  whole 
Church  compacted  together  in  a  good,  earnest  fashion.  That 
League  has  a  most  honorable  record:  it  was  given  up,  as  every- 
body knows,  in  the  hope  of  uniting  all  the  liberal  elements  in 
our  city  in  a  common  work.  The  result  has  convinced  me  that 
Ave  made  a  great  mistake  with  the  best  intentions,  and  spent  a 
great  deal  of  money  for  a  very  small  result.  Now,  I  know  no 
reason  why  this  "Fraternity"  should  not  consist  of  all  the 
elder  and  younger  members  of  the  Church  together.  I  think 
both  elements  Avould  be  better  for  both.  I  wish  it  could  include 
now  the  entire  congregation,  old  and  young.  All  that  has  been 
done  might  thea  be  done  on  a  larger  scale,  other  things  that 
this  Society  has  not  thought  of  touching  might  be  done  also 
— such  things  as  were  done  by  the  League — and  then  that  little 
touch  of  isolation  that  I  have  observed  between  the  two  elements, 
the  elder  and  younger,  in  this  Church,  would  instantly  disap- 
pear. Isolation,  it  is  now,  but  not  difference;  tlien,  the  Church 
would  be  one  body,  with  one  soul.  I  do  not  want  to  start  any- 
thinii:  like  the  leajiue  again,  if  we  can  all  work  to2:ether  in  one 
society.  I  would  infinitely  prefer  this  plan  to  any  other;  and 
I  want  to  see  it,  because  I  do  fear  that  not  a  few  of  us  are 
growing  careless:  we  are  willing  to  let  those  go  ahead  that  will, 
while  we  take  our  ease  and  mind  our  own  business.  But  I  tell 
you,  that  in  these  mighty  times,  when  our  city  and  country  is 
at  white  boat,  pouring  the  hot  metal  into  the  moulds,  and  bound 
to  harden  by  and  by,  we  are  not  justified,  let  alone  glorified,  in 
sitting  still  and  letting  things  that  have  a  moral  purpose  take 
their  course,  but  in  standing  steadily  by  the  moulds,  and  seeing 


15 

that  the  white  metal  assumes  the  right  shape.  Some  are  work- 
ing at  this  new  Church — I  am  proud  and  thankful  for  their  de- 
votion— some  are  working  in  other  ways — these  ways  are  high, 
and  good,  and  indispensable.  Thankfully,  I  say  too,  that  in 
the  Ladies'  Sewing  Society,  and  the  Sunday  School  there  are 
willing  hands,  and  wise  heads,  and  warm  hearts;  but  I  think 
these  altogether  do  not  take  in  half  the  strength  of  this  Church. 
I  would  join  hands,  and  leave  nobody  out.  I  count  it  of  my  own 
poverty  as  a  minister  that  you  do  not  come  to  me  and  say,  I 
am  not  satisfied  to  hear  preaching  and  pay  pew  rent,  I  want  to 
know  what  I  can  do  to  promote  the  great  common  purpose  of 
our  Church.  0!  friends,  if  ever  we  come  to  that,  I  think  I 
shall  be  then  ready  to  die,  only,  I  shall  want  to  live,  to  see 
what  will  come  of  such  a  devotion.  To  bid  the  whole  earth 
"behold  how  good  and  pleasant  it  is  for  brethern  to  dwell 
together  in  unity,"  for  there  the  Lord  commands  his  blessing, 
even  life  for  evermore.  To  see  our  Church  as  "a  city  set  on  a 
hill,  that  cannot  be  hid,"  and  our  light  shining  before  men,  "so 
that  they,  seeing  our  good  works,  shall  glorify  our  Father  which 
is  in  Heaven." 


{"PS'  ^ 

ex 

C6L 
USS 


\ 


